Gambling hearing airs out Indian-casino officials' qualms about online regulations

After the Justice Department (DOJ) issued an opinion concerning internet gambling, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held its second hearing on the subject. The DOJ claimed that the Wire Act only applies to sports wagering, which leaves online blackjack and other poker games in the gray area when it comes to interstate and intrastate online gambling, according to Poker News.

The jury is still out when it comes to whether Indian-run casinos would be able to accept wagers from gamblers not on tribal lands at the time their bets are placed. One of the major issues is that there are no federal regulations, but some states are beginning to put guidelines in place relating to online gambling, which blurs the rules for intrastate poker players.

"There is no question that the recent Justice Department opinion has increased pressure on Congress to move on legislation to regulate internet gambling activity," said Michael Waxman, spokesman for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. "If the main objective of regulation is to protect consumers, this can be best achieved through federal legislation that sets the strict standard for licensing operators requires the most innovative safeguards to be put in place and stringently monitors all gambling and financial activity."

Do you think enacting federal regulations would help to clear up the intrastate gambling issue?

Published on 10 February 2012